The Benue State Police Command has arrested three suspected herbal mixture hawkers following the deaths of three people who reportedly consumed their preparations in Igede community, Oju Local Government Area of the state.
Several other residents were also reportedly hospitalised after consuming the herbal mixtures allegedly purchased from the suspects during the Ihiejwo market day last weekend.
The incident reportedly triggered panic in the community on Monday after several people who had bought and consumed the preparations began experiencing similar symptoms.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Peter Aondongu, confirmed the incident in an interview on Friday, saying the suspects had been transferred to the command headquarters in Makurdi for further investigation.
However, while confirming the arrests, Aondongu gave a different casualty figure, stating that two people had died, while four others were receiving treatment in the hospital.
“Yes, I can confirm the incident, and some suspects were arrested and brought to the state command headquarters for investigation, and I can tell you that the investigation has commenced.
“Two people died and four people were hospitalised,” he said.
But an eyewitness, identified simply as Ogbu, claimed that three people had died, while 14 others were receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Oju.
Ogbu alleged that the suspects, identified as Alhaji Sule Magani, Bello Mohamed, and Musa Kala, sold herbal preparations suspected to contain poisonous substances to unsuspecting residents during the market day.
He explained that the first victim reportedly died on Tuesday morning, followed by the second in the early hours of Wednesday, while the third person died on Thursday.
The eyewitness further claimed that four of the 14 people receiving treatment at the hospital were in critical condition.
The Chairman of Oju Local Government Area, Jackson Ominyi, also confirmed the incident, disclosing that the suspected herbal mixture sellers had been arrested and taken to the police headquarters in Makurdi.
Ominyi said that although he had yet to receive an official breakdown of the casualties, three deaths had been recorded as of Thursday.
He said several other victims were undergoing treatment at the General Hospital in Oju, assuring residents that the local government was making efforts to support their recovery.
“Yes, but up till now, I have not gotten the exact number of the dead ones yet, but the number of people so far was three as of Thursday.
“Several others are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Oju, and the persons selling the herbs have been arrested and sent to Makurdi,” he said.
The council chairman added that the local government was doing everything possible to cater to the affected residents receiving medical attention.
Meanwhile, the police investigation is expected to establish the actual contents of the herbal preparations, the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths, and whether the suspects were responsible for the alleged poisoning.
The conflicting casualty figures have also raised concerns over the actual number of people affected by the incident.
